Golfer&#39;s foot guide



United States Patent Office 2,711,320 Patented June 21, 195,5

GOLFERS FOOT GUIDE Lynn H. Clark, Rockford, Mich. Application November 21, 1952, Serial No. 321,913 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-488) This invention relates to golfers foot guides, and more particularly to guides for properly locating and holding the feet of a player while he lis swinging the golf club at the ball.

It is recognized in the game of golf that a proper stance is essential for good playing. To acquire a good stance the players feet must be properly placed with relation to each other and with the ball. During the swinging of the club the feet, and especially the balls thereof, must remain Vfirmly in place although the heels may be raised somewhat and swung a trie to permit the necessary pivoting of the players body.

This invention provides means for adjusting the players feet properly and firmly holding their forward parts in the proper positions while permitting some swinging movements ofthe heels for pivoting. The device also automatically and without adjustment, lits various sizes of shoes so that it may be used without change by different people. j

The invention provides various new and useful features of construction and arrangement as hereafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of the foot guides which are usually used in pairs,

Fig. 2 shows a plan View of a pair of the foot guides with the players feet shown diagrammatically,

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of one of the foot guides,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing modifications of construction, and

Fig. 5 is another fragmentary sectional elevation showing other modifications of construction.

Like reference numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures.

The base plate 1 is dat and may be rectangular or other suitable shape and is preferably rather heavy .soV that it will hold its position on the ground. The base plate may be made of steel of suitable thickness for the desired Weight.

Upon the upper surface of the base plate 1 are located two generally vertical elongated guide strips 2 which are permanently and suitably attached to the base plate 1 as by the anges 3 which may be welded to the base plate. These guide strips 2 are spaced apart and located divergingly from front to rear, their forward portions being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the width of a smaller sized players shoe and their mid-portions are spaced the width of a larger shoe. Thev guide strips 2 are shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 as being slightly inclined inwardly from the vertical.

In using these foot guides it is preferable to have one for each foot although a single one may be used with 2 some benefit. When two are used they are placed upon the ground in the predetermined'proper locations for the individual kplayer who is to use them. The player then steps upon the base plates'and thrusts his shoes 4forward between the guide strips 2 until their'forwa'rd portions adjacent the balls'of the feetl'are securelyY wedged Y ybetween the diverging strips. Theball to be struck is placed in the proper location forward of the guides.

The player is now ready to stroke the ball with the club. The forward portions of his feet being iirmlyrwedged between the in-turned guide strips 2, are securely held in position and cannot move while the club is being swung although, as hisV body pivots, pivoted to some extent.

To aid in holding the base plate from movement on the ground, prongs 5 may be struck downward therefrom orxcalks 6 may be screw-threaded into thev plate and these pierce the ground and keep the plate from moving. Y' The guide strips may be modified in shape `,such as being verticalas shown at 2a in Fig. 5, or ashaving yin-turned upper edgesas shown at 2b in Fig. 4.

These foot'guides are primarily intended for beginners.l y or those whoare inexpert at the game of-golf. -They will be mostly used for practicing but maybe carried and `usedon the course while playing the game. WithV them i Y the player may either, of hisown accord or by lthe instruction of a professional, learn the proper position of his feet for aV good'stance, and Vwith this knowledge het can place the guides upon the ground in position AYso that when his feet are in them they will be properly located, Then in stroking the ball `his feetwill beheld properly and will not move during' thel swing but the heels may pivotk somewhat to accommodate the body pivot. I, TheseV are all important for proper ,golf` playmg A.

The invention is deiinedin theV `appended claims which areY to be considered comprehensive of all forms coming within their scope. Y

rclaim: Y v Y y' l. Ar'golfers foot guide for the purpose of locating Aa foot of a golf player comprising, afsubstantially at baseV plate adapted to lie horizontally upon the ground, said base plate being somewhat longer than a players shoe and having extending upwardly therefrom Ytwo `guide strips Y spaced divergingly from each other from front to rear, the space between the guide'strips at their mid portions `being substantially equal tothe width of the sole of the shoe of the player andvat the rear the guide strips being spaced a distance greater than the widthof the heel of the players shoe whereby,l during the swingingof a. golf club, the players heel may swing laterally a limited distance and the Vsole may pivot butY is held from lateral displacement relative to thebase plate and the ground onwhich it rests.

2. The elements of claim 12in which said guide'strips f are inclined vinwardly'toward each other in an upward direction.

ReferencesCited in thek file of this patentV Y y UNITED STATES PATENTS V691,965 Ormsby Ian. 28, 1902 1,318,539 Butcher Oct. 14, 1919 2,060,543 White Nov. 10, 1936 2,236,869 Daigle Apr. 1, 1941 v 2,336,894 Shannon Dec. 14,1943 2,622,835 V1952 Ippolito Dec. 23,

the heels may be raised and 

